Mountain Baron

Having just returned to Dadir City with the results of his investigation, Hudson had barely had time to relax when he received an invitation to a banquet from Count Pierce.

Since the boss was treating, he had to have time. Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly washed up and got into the carriage with Baron Redman.

"Father, has anything major happened in the city recently?"

Hudson asked, puzzled.

As the most powerful man in the Southeast Province, Count Pierce was extremely aloof. According to past practice, Hudson was never even allowed to attend his banquets.

Hudson wouldn't go looking for trouble if he wasn't invited. The difference in their power and status was too great; even if he wanted to curry favor, it wouldn't be his place.

"It's all because of the fiefdoms causing trouble. Especially those guys fighting over the inheritance, they have no integrity whatsoever. There haven't been any conflicts in the city lately."

Baron Redman said with a look of disdain.

He had absolutely no liking for those guys who didn't have enough military merit but were trying to live off their relatives and have no descendants.

Of course, the main reason is that they can't get their own share. They've already used up a lot of their connections just doing public relations for Hudson; they simply don't have the energy to get involved in taking advantage of someone else's ill-gotten gains.

In such situations, even those who are not important to the public have to arrive quickly, setting off early to attend the banquet, which still results in a bustling and noisy atmosphere.

Sure enough, everyone thought the same thing. Arriving early doesn't necessarily leave a good impression on the Governor, but arriving late will definitely leave a bad one.

From the moment the struggle for fiefdoms began, the alliance of minor nobles in the Southeast Province crumbled, and the initiative returned to Count Pierce's hands once again.

He kept greeting people along the way, and at this moment, the benefits of becoming familiar with people became apparent. Hudson was able to chat with most of the nobles present.

Especially those powerful figures working at the Governor's Mansion, whenever Hudson encountered them, he would always go over and exchange a few words. They would address each other with terms of address like "uncle" and "elder brother," and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

Even casual acquaintances are still considered friendships, and there's no harm in taking advantage of them. The Coslo Family, with its large and numerous members, is known for having many relatives. The complex relationships within the family are not necessarily clear to even its own members, let alone outsiders.

The fact that the person involved doesn't offer an explanation, and that this is seen by outsiders, creates an invisible deterrent effect. This is especially true for competitors, who face considerable pressure.

"Everyone's here, it seems you all give me face! That's excellent, the nobles of my Southeast Province must maintain this kind of unity."

The main reason for inviting everyone here today, besides catching up, is to discuss the future ownership of Wright and Hutton Prefectures.

First, I must declare here that the legitimacy of the aristocratic succession system must be guaranteed. Everything must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Continental Succession Law, and anyone who dares to break the rules is our common enemy.

I believe that everyone here is a model of nobility, and there would be no such scum among them, nor would anyone allow such a disgrace to exist.

These are all established procedures. The Continental Succession Law is a set of rules jointly maintained by the aristocratic group, with the aim of protecting everyone's common interests.

No family is immune to decline, and no one wants their business to fall into the hands of others. This is a rare touch of warmth in the world of nobility.

"Governor Excellency is right. The Continental Succession Law must be followed. All direct descendants who meet the requirements of the Inheritance Law should be given priority in the inheritance process."

We only need to discuss unclaimed lands and territories where inheritance rights are disputed. I presume His Excellency already has a comprehensive plan for handling these matters.

Viscount Oran said meaningfully.

His tone was contradictory, seemingly both in agreement with Governor Pierce and in dissatisfaction with his autocratic rule.

This scene was nothing new to everyone. None of the powerful viscounts in the province had a good relationship with Count Pierce.

Minor nobles posed no threat to the Dalton Family's interests, but the middle nobles were a different story. Although the difference in strength between the two sides remained vast, the Daltons had the power to take over if the major nobles declined.

In order to consolidate their rule, the Dalton Family, as the head of the Southeast Province, has always used suppression tactics against these middle-class families.

Where there is oppression, there is resistance. The middle-class nobles, unwilling to remain subservient to others, did not hesitate to pledge allegiance to the King and gathered a group of followers to oppose the Dalton Family in the province.

The difference in strength doesn't prevent them from engaging in verbal sparring. Within the established rules, no matter how much trouble they cause, the Dalton Family cannot directly take action against them.

Except for the Northern Frontier region, where powerful nobles hold absolute power, the rest of the kingdom operates on a system of checks and balances. People both unite and oppose each other.

For example, right now, despite the commotion, it doesn't affect everyone's efforts to unite and resist the Northern Nobles' southward advance, and to jointly divide up the unclaimed lands in the two prefectures.

After giving Viscount Oran a glare, Count Pierce said slowly, "Legitimate heirs who meet the inheritance requirements and are not in dispute may come to the Governor's Mansion to complete the inheritance procedures starting tomorrow."

We will deliver it to the Royal Capital as quickly as possible, and it will take effect upon the King's approval. Before that, you may take over the territory, but you must not use large sums of money or do anything that would harm the interests of the territory.

According to the agreement reached between the Governor's Mansion and the Kingdom, one-sixth of the land in Wright and Hutton Prefectures would be reserved as fiefdoms for the military nobles of the North.

The specific candidates have not yet been determined, but the general scope has been narrowed down. Today we will discuss the handling of the remaining areas.

The Governor's Mansion suggested that territories be selected in order of merit in the suppression of the rebellion.

In territories where inheritance rights are disputed, the order of priority is: direct line of blood first, followed by military merit, and then collateral line.

If anyone has a better allocation plan, please bring it up now. If it satisfies everyone, we can proceed with your plan.

As they were talking, regardless of whether everyone could accept it or not, a huge sand table was carried in from outside by the guards.

Although it's a bit ugly and has some errors, you can roughly tell that it's a map of two counties.

There are also lines of different colors on it, dividing the two counties into several small sections of different sizes, and there are also place names marked by wooden signs of different colors next to them.

It's clear that Count Pierce is prepared to cut the Gordian knot and doesn't want things to drag on like this.

As for the so-called solicitation of opinions, it's just a polite formality. Even if the two prefectures were expanded tenfold, it still wouldn't be enough to satisfy everyone.

Seeing that no one objected, Count Pierce said with satisfaction, "The areas marked by the red wooden signs are all owned, so don't even think about them."

The areas marked by the blue wooden plaques represent cases where inheritance rights are still in dispute. Discussions can be held based on our agreed-upon inheritance principles; if no agreement can be reached, the Southeast Provincial Noble Council will adjudicate according to regulations.

The remaining white wooden plaques represent unclaimed land. Meritorious officials eligible for fiefdoms can choose in order of priority, and others may raise objections.

If an agreement cannot be reached, the old procedure applies: the Noble Council will decide. Since most of the representatives are here, a vote can be taken on the spot; it won't waste anyone's time.

Looking at the colored wooden signs, Hudson realized he had been overthinking things. The wealthy areas weren't just difficult to compete for; they simply weren't flowing out at all.

Leaving aside the city, Hudson never even dared to hope that such a pie would fall into his lap.

Even of the dozen or so targets identified beforehand, only three remain unclaimed, making the competition all the more intense.

Don't be fooled by Count Pierce's seemingly reasonable talk; in reality, it's all about the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. A powerful family with many supporters is bound to emerge victorious.

Conversely, even if you're given the first choice, if you lack the strength, you still won't be able to keep it in the end. Those who are granted titles and ranks based on military merit are a little better off; at worst, they'll get a piece of worthless land, so they won't leave empty-handed.

As for the others, once they fail to seize the fiefdom, all their previous efforts will be in vain.

Fortunately, the Salam Mine Area, which he wanted most, was also in the No Man's Lands; otherwise, Hudson would have been completely lost.

Once everyone had digested the information, a huge red cloth was hung on the wall of the hall. Hudson quickly found his name on it; he was number one on the list.

It's quite fair indeed. According to the principle of prioritizing politics, Hudson, who killed the most Holy See Cavalry, is undoubtedly the number one hero.

Surprisingly, Count Pierce's name was not on it. In the Aslant Continent, it wasn't common for one person to hold only one title; it was often the case that someone held several.

Especially among the high-ranking nobles, who doesn't have a string of titles? If it were truly a title granted in one step, what idiotic King would bestow tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of square kilometers of land all at once?

Whether they are noble and virtuous or have other plans, it doesn't matter. In any case, Hudson is not interested in the plans of the big shots, and he "dare" to be interested in them.

Without any hesitation, Hudson took the lead and walked onto the sand table, picking up a small flag and planting it in the area in front of the Salam Mine Area.

Marking a point to determine the general area is enough; the specific division of territory will require each party to use their own ingenuity.

As the flag fell, Hudson immediately garnered several friendly glances. It was clear that several powerful companies were satisfied with his choice.

Although the Salam Mine Area is quite productive, it is limited by factors such as coal shortages and low grain production. Considering all factors, it can only be considered average among the territories.

Given the Coslo Family's strength, taking over this hilly region can only be considered average.

Several viscounts smiled and gestured, Hudson knew the matter was settled. Those who wanted to object would have to see if their fists were strong enough.

"Very well, since no one objects, the southernmost mountainous region of Wright County shall be temporarily designated as the fiefdom of Baron Hudson."

As Count Pierce finished speaking, Hudson gained another nickname. "The Mountain Baron." Before that, everyone affectionately called him "The Divine Bow Knight."

Compared to the former, the latter was clearly more intimidating. In a sense, Hudson's ability to thrive in aristocratic circles was largely due to the "Divine Bow Knight."

People always like to befriend the strong. Hudson, who can kill with a single arrow, is a true battlefield god of war and the perfect comrade-in-arms.

With so many wars on the Aslant Continent, we'll be working together a lot more in the future. If we can build good relationships, we might just be able to escape with our lives from the battlefield someday.